Fix – Windows Spotlight Not Working on Windows 11/10

The spotlight feature on Windows 11/10 is interesting. It allows your PC to update lock screen wallpapers using images from Bing. It creates a refreshing experience for users so that whenever they log back in, they have a new sight and a new lock screen wallpaper. The feature is so in sync that it often goes unnoticed until it stops working. 

Seeing your lock screen stuck with a similar wallpaper is not a good sight, provided you have not chosen something manually. The Windows Spotlight often stops working out of nowhere. If you have also encountered a situation and don’t know why Windows Spotlight is not working on Windows, this post is for you.

In this one, we will be discussing why Windows Spotlight stops working and what ways can be used to resolve the issue. 

What Causes Windows Spotlight to Stop Working?

Two significant problems usually cause the service to stop. These are – 

1. Corrupt Spotlight files
2. Outdated system drivers

Most of the time, these two problems are found to be the core of Windows Spotlight not working on Windows 11/10. However, one cannot neglect the other errors that may be responsible. Since Spotlight works like an integrated service on the PC, several minor and major factors may affect its performance. 

These causes are – 

• Pending Windows Updates
• Poor Internet Connection
• A glitch in Loading the Service
• Other temporary issues.

When the Spotlight feature stops working on Windows, these are some factors you should consider. In the next section, you may find multiple ways to help you eliminate the errors and bring back the Windows Spotlight feature to work on your computer.

How to Fix the Spotlight Not Working on Windows

The first thing you should do is restart your computer. With Microsoft services, especially those that use the internet, temporary glitches are common. Hence, a simple restart can help eliminate those issues, resolving your problem once and for all.

Secondly, if you have, at any point in time, changed the lock screen wallpaper, make sure that the current wallpaper service is set to Windows Spotlight. For that, you should simply visit the Windows settings. 

Step 1 – Press Win+I to open the system settings.
Step 2 – From the left pane, go to Personalization.

Step 3 – You may find the Lock Screen option in the Personalization options.

Step 4 – Open the option and find the first option that says personalize your lock screen. Make sure that Windows Spotlight is selected there.

If a picture or slideshow is selected, change it to Windows Spotlight, and you should see the feature run back on your PC.

Other than these two checks, ensure that your PC is connected to a stable network and that no other applications are open in the background. 

After checking these basic things, let us look at some fixes that you can use to resolve the Spotlight not working issue once and for all. 

Fix 1 – Force Reset the Windows Spotlight

Using the Spotlight for a while creates multiple system files that may be responsible for it not working. Renaming these crucial files removes the data it fetches, forcing the service to reset. 

Step 1 – Open the Windows Explorer on your PC.
Step 2 – Navigate to the following address using the address bar – 

%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings

Step 3 – After opening the above folder, rename the existing files by adding .bak to the name. Change – settings.dat and roaming.lock to setting.dat bak and roaming.lock.bak by adding .bak to the end of the files.

Restart your PC and check if the Windows spotlight is now working on your PC or not. 

Fix 2 – Delete Windows Spotlight Files

The user files created while the Spotlight is working can be a reason why it is not working anymore. These temporary files can get corrupted as the Spotlight service works over the internet. Hence, it is better to delete these files and eliminate the glitch. 

Step 1 – Open File Explorer. 

Step 2 Navigate to the following address using the address bar – 

%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

Step 3 – Select all the files in the folder using the Ctrl+A key combination and press delete. 

This will refresh your Spotlight service, making it work seamlessly on your PC. 

Fix 3 – Update PC Drivers

If the above methods do not work, there is a chance that system drivers are causing the service failure. Several components, such as your network adapter, GPU, system driver, etc., are used to run the Spotlight successfully. If any driver is not working as intended, it may cause an issue.

Hence, we recommend that you keep your drivers updated. But how? Well, if you do not know how to update drivers on Windows, do not worry; we have the perfect solution: Advanced Driver Updater. Simply download the tool and let it take care of the rest.

It works in 3 easy steps – 

Step 1 – Install the app after downloading it via the link below.

Step 2 – Run a scan to find the outdated drivers on your PC.

Step 3 – Use the Update All button to finish the updates.

Restart your PC after the tool is working, and you should find that the Windows Spotlight is working properly. 

Besides these fixes, you should also take care of the minor steps that may be causing the Windows Spotlight to stop working. These include – 

1. Ensure that there is no update pending on your PC. Check for Windows updates regularly.
2. Wait for 24 hours if you have recently started the Windows Spotlight. That is because it works with Bing and takes time to sync all the wallpapers and images.
3. If nothing works out, you might have to reset your Windows PC. You can find the reset option in the settings.

The Windows spotlight not working is an issue that can be easy and tough to resolve, depending on what is causing it to fail. Try all these fixes, and we are sure you can bring back new wallpapers to your PC with the Windows Spotlight feature. Hope you find this blog helpful. Thanks for reading, good luck!

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